WE are still decking those halls around here… we had a crafty decorating spree that involved some salt dough (yeah, that’s 1 cup of salt, 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of warm water and knead it until your arms get tired. Bake at 250 for 45 minutes per 1/4 inch of thickness, and be sure to seal it with a craft sealant when it’s completely dry.) and a lot of acrylic paint. I know we have a bunch of ornament kits left over from last year, but I can’t find them, so we went with this instead. I had a tiny snowflake cutter and a spool of holiday ribbon that happened to go with the dining room curtains, so I made a garland for the chandelier. It’s about 2 dozen snowflakes, give or take a few, and 3 yards of ribbon. I just threaded them onto the ribbon, spaced them evenly, and started tying knots through the holes at one end until I got to the middle and then repeated from the other end. You should adjust to your preferences. It was a quick, fun way to deck out the dining room a little while the kids were having way too much fun with paint.

On another note, those mini Reese’s are one of my favorite holiday foods. Peanut butter cups are like… my Kryptonite. I LOVE peanut butter cups. From their festive holiday wrappers to the last crumb of sweetened peanutty goodness, I just cannot get enough. Which is why I am so thrilled that I LOVE this Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie, which is Phase 2 compatible.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie (Makes 2 servings)

image courtesy of Carissa GoodNCrazy via Flickr Creative commons

1 over ripe banana
1 scoop protein powder (unflavored, unsweetened)
2 Tablespoons Special Dark cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon Splenda or sweetener of your choice
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup cold coffee (if you’re watching your caffeine, water works.)
1/4 to 1/3 cup ice cubes
2 Tablespoons natural peanut butter, no sugar added

Put it in the blender until smooth and enjoy.

PS- find me on Pinterest.